- Today, I'll be reviewing the LAMY AL-star black EMR
which is a pen that is compatible with the Wacom One
and other types of Wacom EMR-enabled tablets and phones.
The Al-star is a popular pen among traditional artists,
but I'll be putting it to the test
from a digital artist's perspective.
Quick disclaimer, Lamy sent me this pen unconditionally
to review in this sponsored video,
but as always, all opinions in this video are my own.
So, let's start with an overview
of the pen and what it can do.
The Al-star black EMR is based on the rollerball version
of the Al-star which is widely used
for handwriting and inking.
The Al-Star EMR brings the familiar feel of an analog pen
to the digital domain with a build that feels
more like a traditional pen than a stylus.
Gone are the rollerball tip and ink cartridges
which have been replaced with a standard plastic nib
and battery-free EMR technology.
This allows the Al-star EMR to draw on a display
using pen pressure to vary the size,
opacity and other digital art properties.
Now, let's dive a bit deeper into this device.
The shape and form of the Lamy Al-star is really
the main selling point here.
If you're looking for a pen that offers
a more natural writing and drawing experience
than what is offered by your standard Wacom stylus,
the Al-star is a good option.
It features an ergonomic design that,
at first glance, appears much thicker
than the pen that comes with the Wacom One,
but after removing the pen cap,
the end that you hold is about the same thickness
as the Wacom One's pen.
The main difference being the Al-star has a triangular grip,
while the Wacom One's pen is rounded.
The Al-star has a glossy plastic grip.
I'm used to having a rubbery grip,
so that felt a little odd at first,
but it didn't take much getting used to.
Because the Al-start EMR does not require
batteries or charging, it feels light and nicely balanced
as long as you don't put the cap on the backside.
It's made out of matte black anodized aluminum
and the body of the pen is flat on two sides
and rounded on the others which keeps the pen
from rolling off of your desk.
A nice thick cap protects the tip of the Al-star
and it includes a metal clip to keep the pen safe
and easily accessible in your pocket.
The Al-star features over 4,000 pen pressure levels
which can be used to make thick and thin lines
or brush strokes that are more or less opaque.
Artists will appreciate this feature for drawing
and painting, but the high pressure sensitivity
also makes handwriting look and feel
very close to analog writing.
During my line tests,
I found the Al-star EMR performed well.
The lines are not wobbly and the pen pressure tapers nicely.
The only issue I had was with the lighter end
of the pen pressure being a bit difficult to detect.
This made it hard for me to do light sketching.
I think this is more due to the rubbery grip
of the nib which we will discuss next.
The nib or tip of the pen is 0.7 millimeters thick,
which is perfect for both writing and drawing.
The nibs on the Al-star have more
of a more rubbery-feeling grip on the surface
of the display compared to the standard Wacom nibs
which feel more slippery on the Wacom One.
This has a tendency to make it more difficult to draw
with very light pressure as the friction
causes the pen to skip along the surface.
However, the added friction does add some stability
to medium and heavy pressure strokes
which does feel nice if you are inking or taking notes.
The nib also has some springiness to it that dampens
the sound of the pen tip on the surface of the display.
The Al-star EMR comes with two spare nibs.
There is also a metal ring that is used to bite down
on the nib to remove it.
Fortunately, if you don't like the feeling of the nib
that comes with the LAMY AL-star black EMR,
you can swap it out with one of the standard nibs
that comes with the Wacom One,
if you want that slicker feeling
on the surface of the tablet.
I recommend that you go ahead and do this
if you want the best drawing experience on the Wacom One.
Pen tilt is supported on the Al-star black EMR
which will let you shade with the side of your pencil
in apps that support pen tilt.
I find that when you tilt the default nib,
it has too much friction and makes it difficult to draw,
so definitely swap the nib out for one of the Wacom One nibs
if you're going to be shading like this.
On the grip of the pen is a small button that may be able
to be programmed within your art or writing application
to perform a function.
For example, it may be used to invoke an erasing mode.
Most digital pens I have used require you to press
the button with your index finger,
or at least that's how I've always done it.
The Al-star's button is placed low on the grip,
so it has to be pressed with your thumb.
This may take some getting used to if you're like me.
The button is inset rather than being raised
above the surface of the grip.
There isn't a good way to feel where the button is
without looking, so in my opinion,
it would have been better to have the button raised
a bit and located near the front of the grip.
The Al-star is compatible with the Wacom One,
Samsung Galaxy Note and other types
of Wacom EMR-enabled devices.
You can find a list of compatible devices on Lamy's website.
So now, I'll do a quick handwriting and drawing demo
with the Al-star.
We'll start with the handwriting demo.
Handwriting on the Wacom One feels nice.
You have the option of using the default nib
which has more friction and will make your lines
more stable, or if you want a looser feel to the pen,
you can use a nib from the Wacom One.
Moving on to the drawing demo.
Drawing with the Al-star feels comfortable
even during long drawing sessions.
I did this quick doodle from imagination here.
Just drawing in pencil first
and then going over it with ink.
So as you can see, I'm able to use this pen
not only as a ink pen but also as a pencil
or a paintbrush and it also works well
for navigating my computer.
The Al-star EMR is an excellent pen for handwriting,
painting and inking.
It's refreshing to work with a pen that feels more analog.
And I'm happy to recommend it to anyone who wants a pen
that feels more like a pen and less like a stylus.
If you'd like to pick one up for yourself,
I'll put a link down in the video description.
If you're interested in more reviews of digital art tech,
check out my playlist of videos at the end of this video.
Thanks for watching and I'll see you next time.